Embracing Change - Being your own Change Agent: Lucy’s story

Life is either a great adventure or nothing.  – Helen Keller

Our second post in the Embracing Change series features Lucy, a vivacious Florida native who decided she was tired of her day-to-day status quo and wanted a new experience.  She did what many of us may dream of doing and took on the exhilarating challenge of moving to a new city, far away from her devoted network of friends and family.  

Lucy, who holds dual Masters Degrees in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Public Policy and Administration, worked in the juvenile justice field for state government in Tallahassee, FL for a little over a year before deciding to move to Washington DC.  Within months of arriving in DC she had found a new job at a prestigious consulting firm, an apartment in a cosmopolitan neighborhood, and started forging new friendships.  She lived in DC for three years before moving back to Florida in December 2011.  Lucy talked with us about trusting your instincts, the importance of a positive outlook, and why it’s hard to beat the beach.

MF:  Hi Lucy!  Thanks for agreeing to be part of this series.  You moved from Tallahassee FL to Washington, DC.  Those cities are not close to each other.  Why did you feel the urge to move? Why DC?

I moved to DC because I wanted a new life experience.  I wanted to move to a city where I knew virtually no one to test my abilities to make it completely on my own, and reinvent myself as a “city” girl.   I also wanted to work on criminal justice policy on a federal level - having worked in state government I felt I would be able to make a bigger impact working in the federal space.  Additionally, there were numerous aspects of my personal life that I was not content with and wanted to change by proxy, and, I had wanted to live in DC for some time!

From top: the iconic GW monument, towering over the mall; traffic entering Georgetown, with the National Cathedral in the distance.

After living in DC for a few years I realized that although I loved the city and the friends I had made there, I wanted to be closer to my family and live by the beach in warmer weather, so I made the decision to move back to Florida.



From top: In Florida with friends and family; the newest addition to Lucy's family.



MF:  Was there a decisive moment that jumpstarted the move, or was it gradual?  If the former, what was it?

My move to DC was precipitated by a series of difficult events in my life, including, unfortunately, violence in the workplace that resulted in an extremely hostile work environment, a car accident in which my car was totaled, and an incident with a person with whom I was in a relationship that broke my heart.  I had wanted to try living somewhere new for a while, and the combination of those events led me to believe it was the right time to make a change.

The change agent herself, on the mall for President Obama’s first inauguration.

The decision to move back to Florida was more of a gradual process during which I came to realize snow boots weren’t for me and the beach year round was much more enticing!  Once I had come to that conclusion I began to research the possibility of moving with my company, looking for new jobs, and deciding where in Florida I wanted to live. When I sorted that out, I packed my things up and was on my way home to Florida.

Lucy back home on her beloved beach with friends.

 

MF:  How long did it take you to make the move to DC, once you decided you were ready?

The move to DC, from decision time to a packed car on the road, was about a week and a half to two weeks. I handed in my resignation letter at work and used my accumulated PTO to plan and get ready for my move. I told my significant other it was time I move on; I was tired of waiting for things to change between us and that the status of our “relationship” was unacceptable. I sold anything that I could part with, had an awesome last night in Tallahassee with my friends, and hit the road.

Once I decided to move back to Florida, I moved within a few months.  At that point, I had more invested in my career and knew that it would no longer be as easy, or financially intelligent, to quit my job and move without having a new position.  I also wanted to savor the city I had come to love before leaving, so I made sure to spend lots of time with friends, eat at restaurants I had always wanted to try, and leave no happy hour unvisited!  I left knowing I had experienced a lot (though certainly not all) of what DC had to offer!

MF:   What challenges did you face in trying to make the change, and how did you deal with them?

When moving to DC I moved within such a short time frame that I did not have my own place to live (thankfully my cousin and his wife took me in!), I did not have a job, I knew very little about the area, and I did not have much of a reserve saved up to move and support myself.  I had to believe that everything would work out.

I’m not going to say I never missed Florida, never missed my friends or family, never thought I had made a huge mistake, and I am definitely not going to say I never wanted to turn around and run right back home, but a bigger part of me was excited each day I woke up in this new city.  I took one day at a time, and tried my best not to get discouraged.  There were days I had to dig deep to stay positive, and there were certainly days where I am sure Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck is the only thing that got me through, but I persevered and in the end was rewarded with a great job, awesome friends, and amazing experiences!

From top: Van Gogh meets DC during cherry blossom season...and the real thing.

When moving back to Florida I had no idea where I wanted to live, and I needed to determine how I would manage my career in the difficult economy while moving and making decisions about my personal life.   I was lucky enough to work for a company that supports non-traditional work schedules.  I was also able to find a project that allowed me to travel for work, which meant that my home base could be moved back to Florida with minimal impact to my job. 

From top: Florida beaches are hard to beat; the view from Lucy's apartment.

MF:   Did anything surprise you in this process?

Although I trusted that things would work out the whole time, in both instances, I was a little surprised at how easily everything fell together. In DC I was able to find a job in a month and a half, I was able to move into my own apartment after a couple of months, I made some of the most amazing friends of my life, and I discovered and fell in love with a new city.  When moving to Florida I wanted it to work so I found a way for it to work. I looked for opportunities that would allow me to move and knew not to rush the timeline.

I was also a bit surprised at the resistance I encountered from some people in my life. I think others were more scared that things wouldn’t work out than I was and were inclined to try and protect me.  But at the end of the day while others may have many opinions on how you should live your life, only you have the final say – it’s your life! Happiness is fleeting, so take every opportunity to manifest happiness for yourself.  Hopefully, those in your life will smile and support you or at least keep mum if they don’t!  

MF:  Anything you would have done differently?

I’m not sure I would have done much differently. These experiences have shaped who I am today, but I can admit that more thorough planning would have made each process much smoother.

MF:  What advice do you have for people considering making a similar change in their lives?

Overall, I would say that you should trust your gut. If your instincts are telling you that you need to make a change, then I think you should listen to that.  The fear of the unknown can seem overwhelming and make it hard to initiate change, but I found that everything comes together once that precipitous first step is taken.

On a practical point, in today’s economy it is important to remain flexible and think outside the box as much as possible when making a move that affects your employment.  Review all your options – can you work with your employer to modify your workload, schedule, status, and/or locale?  If so, determine what option makes the most sense for your end goal.  Be sure to present how this change would be beneficial to your employer (you will be more productive, you will save resources by working from home, you will be able to tap a new market, etc) – make it a win-win situation. Employers will be more likely to accept your proposal if there is a benefit for them as well. Make sure to do market research and have a solid plan and definite decision (no matter the outcome) before approaching anyone in your company.

MF:  Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Change is a necessary part of life. We may not be able to control what changes happen to us, but we are always in control of how we approach it and handle it!  Positivity and knowing that you have the strength to handle whatever change is presented to you are paramount – face the change in your life with the right attitude and I believe the result will be nothing short of your own manifestation of destiny.

Sunsets in DC (top) and Florida (bottom.)

Thanks to Lucy for sharing her story - and beautiful photos - with us.  For those of you contemplating making a similar change in your life, I hope Lucy's experiences inspire you to take that leap of faith!

xoxo,
MF